RM announces £169 Asus miniBook laptop for students

Education PC manufacturer RM has launched an ultra-portable PC that costs just £169 (excl VAT). Weighing just 890g, the RM Asus miniBook has a 7in colour screen, 256Mb or 512Mb of RAM, and either a 2Gb or 4Gb SSD drive.

Aimed at students, the miniBook will be available from 1st November -- more details after the cut.  

The miniBook is a rebranded version of the Asus Eee PC - the '$200 laptop' that was first unveiled at the 2006 Computex show. Based around an Intel Mobile Celeron-M ULV 900MHz processor, the Eee PC is capable of running Windows, but RM is supplying an Asus-developed version of Linux (no doubt to keep the price down).

According to RM, the miniBook takes just 15 seconds to boot, but battery life is pegged at a mere two and a half hours with Wi-Fi enabled. Still, with the demise of the Palm Foleo and the OLPC XO unavailable in the UK, the miniBook is currently by far the cheapest laptop available over here.

Commenting on the launch, Tim Pearson, CEO of RM said:

There has never been such an exciting time for teaching and learning with ICT. Learners these days need to have access to technology at home and outside the classroom. The school gate is now a virtual one. And that is a good thing. What is not so good is if some learners can't be part of that new world. That is why we are working with our technology partners Asustek to bring affordable, mobile computing to schools. We have a responsibility to ensure that all our children have access to the very best learning and the very best technology that is available. By developing a student device that is in the same price range as an iPod I believe we are getting there.

The RM Asus miniBook 4GB 512mb (#1EN-846) costs £199 (excl VAT), the RM Asus miniBook 2GB 256mb (#1EN-847) £169 (excl VAT). It will be formally launched on Thursday at Handheld Learning 2007. 

Specifications:

• Mobile Intel Celeron-M ULV 900MHz processor
• Intel UMA graphics
• Asus developed Linux based operating system
• 7" TFT screen
• 256 or 512MB Memory
• 2GB or 4GB Solid-State Hard Drive
• Integrated Modem, Ethernet and 802.11g
• Integrated webcam (300K pixel)
• Optional 3G module
• 3 USB ports
• VGA out port
• SD card reader
• Battery Life: 2.5hrs
• Size: 225 x 165 x 21mm
• Weight: 0.89kg

[Related: Hands on with the £169 RM Asus miniBook ultra-portable

Asus announces Eee PC ultra-portable specification]